2 Kings 15:15 kjv
And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
2 Kings 15:15 nkjv
Now the rest of the acts of Shallum, and the conspiracy which he led, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
2 Kings 15:15 niv
The other events of Shallum's reign, and the conspiracy he led, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.
2 Kings 15:15 esv
Now the rest of the deeds of Shallum, and the conspiracy that he made, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
2 Kings 15:15 nlt
The rest of the events in Shallum's reign, including his conspiracy, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.
2 Kings 15 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Kgs 14:19 | Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam... are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. | Similar chronicle formula for Israelite kings. |
| 1 Kgs 14:29 | Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam... are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah. | Similar chronicle formula for Judahite kings. |
| 1 Kgs 15:7 | Now the rest of the acts of Abijam... are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? | Continued use for Judah's kings. |
| 1 Kgs 15:31 | Now the rest of the acts of Nadab... are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? | Consistent formula for Israel's kings. |
| 2 Kgs 15:36 | Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? | Another example of the standard formula. |
| 2 Kgs 15:6 | As for the rest of the acts of Azariah and all that he did... | Similar introductory phrase, setting the context. |
| 2 Kgs 16:19 | Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz... are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? | Consistency across reigns. |
| Esth 10:2 | All the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai... are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? | General practice of referring to royal annals. |
| Neh 12:23 | The heads of the fathers' houses of Levi... are written in the book of the chronicles. | Example of sacred records being kept. |
| Isa 30:8 | Go now, write it before them on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever. | Emphasis on the enduring nature of written records. |
| Jer 22:30 | Thus says the Lord: Write this man down as childless... | God commands specific records for prophetic reasons. |
| Psa 56:8 | You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? | Divine record-keeping of human actions. |
| Psa 69:28 | Let them be blotted out of the book of life; let them not be enrolled among the righteous. | Concept of divine books of record. |
| Rev 20:12 | And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged... by what was written in the books. | Final judgment based on recorded deeds. |
| 1 Kgs 11:41 | Now the rest of the acts of Solomon... are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? | Variation of the 'chronicles' reference. |
| 2 Kgs 10:30 | And the Lord said to Jehu, "Because you have done well... your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel." | Prophetic word to Jehu, whose line Zechariah was, highlighting the context of God's covenant with kings. |
| 2 Kgs 15:8 | In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria for six months. | The direct preceding context of Zechariah's short reign. |
| 2 Kgs 15:16 | At that time Menahem came from Tirzah and attacked Tiphsah and all who were in it... because they did not open their gates to him, therefore he struck down all the women in it who were pregnant. | Context showing the violent and chaotic nature of this period in Israel. |
| Amos 7:9 | The high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword. | Prophetic warning against the house of Jeroboam, highlighting the coming judgment against Zechariah's line. |
| Hos 10:3 | For now they will say: "We have no king, for we do not fear the Lord; and a king—what can he do for us?" | Prophetic context of the instability and lack of true leadership in Israel leading to its downfall. |
2 Kings 15 verses
2 Kings 15 15 Meaning
This verse is a standard editorial formula concluding the account of a king's reign within the Book of Kings. It signifies that the biblical narrative provides a summarized, theologically focused history, and refers the reader to more extensive, official royal annals—"the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel"—for additional details regarding King Zechariah's deeds. It implies the historical veracity and availability of broader records, validating the brief theological assessment provided in the biblical text.
2 Kings 15 15 Context
Chapter 15 of 2 Kings depicts a tumultuous period in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, marked by political instability, rapid dynastic changes, assassinations, and continued idolatry. It chronicles the reigns of several kings, each tragically short and mostly characterized by doing "what was evil in the sight of the Lord." Zechariah, the subject of this verse, was the fourth and final king of Jehu's dynasty (2 Kgs 10:30), ruling for a mere six months before being assassinated by Shallum (2 Kgs 15:10). This period is part of the Deuteronomistic History (Joshua-Kings), which interprets Israel's history through the lens of covenant obedience and disobedience, explaining the nation's eventual exile as a direct consequence of its sin. The repeated mention of "the book of the chronicles" underscores that the historical details, beyond the theological summaries, were readily available, reinforcing the verifiable nature of God's justice playing out in their history. The chaotic nature of the kings' reigns leading to regicide highlighted Israel's departure from God and the decay of its national life.
2 Kings 15 15 Word analysis
- Now the rest of the acts (וְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי - veyeter divrey): This phrase consistently appears throughout 1 & 2 Kings to introduce the standard concluding formula for a king's reign. "Rest" implies further, unrecorded details available elsewhere. "Acts" or "matters/words" refers to the full historical record, not just moral conduct. It signals that the inspired biblical account is selective, focusing on details pertinent to God's dealings with the king and the nation.
- of Zechariah: Refers to King Zechariah, son of Jeroboam II, the last ruler of Jehu's dynasty in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. His specific name highlights the individual accountability of each king.
- and behold (וְהִנָּם - vehinnam): An emphatic interjection. It draws the reader's attention, adding emphasis and confirming the existence and accessibility of the mentioned records. It signals that these are not merely vague references but existing, verifiable documents.
- they are written (כְּתוּבִים - ketuvim): This is a passive participle, meaning "having been written" or "are inscribed." It conveys the certainty that these acts have been documented, affirming the historical basis of the biblical account. The Divine inspiration of Scripture incorporates and affirms factual human history.
- in the book of the chronicles (עַל־סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים - al-sefer divrei hayyamim): This refers to official state annals or royal records, likely kept by scribes within the royal court of Israel. This specific source is distinct from the canonical Old Testament book called "Chronicles" (though both mean "matters of the days"). This source served as the official public record of each king's reign, including battles, building projects, economic policies, and other significant events, from which the Deuteronomistic historian drew. It testifies to God's use of existing historical records to underscore His judgments and purposes.
- of the kings of Israel: Specifically distinguishes these records as pertaining to the Northern Kingdom (Israel) rather than the Southern Kingdom (Judah), which also maintained its own "book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah." This distinction highlights the separate political and often spiritual paths of the two kingdoms.
2 Kings 15 15 Bonus section
The "book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel" (or Judah) was likely a repository of raw data – daily events, decrees, and achievements. The biblical author, the Deuteronomistic historian, didn't simply copy these annals but extracted, condensed, and organized the information to serve a specific theological agenda: to explain Israel's national trajectory, particularly their downfall, as a direct consequence of their persistent sin, particularly idolatry and failing to adhere to the Mosaic covenant. The consistency of this phrase across the Book of Kings solidifies the theological argument, demonstrating that all kings, regardless of their immediate human assessment, were ultimately subject to the Divine King and their actions recorded. This approach serves as a constant reminder that human history is purposeful and divinely overseen, with ultimate accountability lying before the living God, not merely human contemporaries.
2 Kings 15 15 Commentary
2 Kings 15:15 encapsulates a core feature of the Deuteronomistic History: its meticulous integration of external, verifiable historical sources to support its theological message. This standard formula serves multiple purposes. First, it affirms the historicity of the events recounted. The biblical author doesn't merely assert; he points to official, publicly accessible records that would confirm his summaries. Second, it implicitly declares the limited scope of the inspired narrative, which is not an exhaustive national history, but a selective, interpretative history focused on God's covenant dealings with His people. The "rest of the acts" covers events not immediately relevant to the spiritual lesson or the overarching narrative of obedience and judgment. Third, and most profoundly, this reference underscores divine accountability. What kings did—both their obedience and their widespread disobedience to God's law—was recorded not only by human scribes but also, in principle, known to God. The very existence of such records testifies that their reigns, and therefore their failures, were not private but matters of public and divine record, leading ultimately to divine judgment for their unfaithfulness, as consistently shown in the fate of ungodly kings like Zechariah.